New York Police Commissioner William Bratton has announced he is resigning next month. Over the past four decades, Bratton has reshaped modern policing. He served as the New York police commissioner twice, and as commissioner of the Boston Police Department and chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. Bratton was a lead advocate of the so-called broken windows policy that calls for officers to crack down on minor infractions in an attempt to decrease violent crime. While New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called Bratton’s accomplishments “extraordinary,” critics say Bratton’s policies have unfairly targeted communities of color. In a statement Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi told Democracy Now!, “William Bratton is the key architect of programs that have terrorized our communities for decades.”
Bratton and his policies have faced years of protests and opposition from activists. We’ll have more on his resignation after headlines.